A Little Bit Longer
by Cathleen18
Summary: Nick and Cath pretend for a few hours. NickCath.
1. Pretend A Little Longer

**A Little Bit Longer**

**Summary**: Nick and Cath pretend for a few hours. NickCath fic if it wasn't obvious.

* * *

"Breakfast? Sure Nicky, I'll meet you in the break room after shift." Cath strode out of the layout room Nick was currently occupying. 

He finally took a breath. It had taken all of his courage to ask Cath to breakfast with him, even if it was as friends. He finished off the report of his case he was doing and packed up his work. Nick took the familiar steps to the break room and saw Cath waiting there, cup of coffee in one hand, girly magazine in the other.

"Hey Nicky," she said as Nick opened the door.

"Hey babe," Nick replied. Nick saw her shudder as he called her 'babe'. He smiled slightly.

"You ready?" she asked. Nick nodded. "Good, I was starting to die of starvation." She chuckled. "Let's go."

Nick let her link arms with him as they walked down the corridor. Heads turned but Cath didn't care about the looks she was getting; she was going on a breakfast date with Nick, making her the happiest she'd been for a while.

As they pulled up to the restaurant in Nick's Denali, Cath sighed. "Nick, what are we doing?"

He looked bemused. "Having breakfast."

"No, I mean, what are _WE_ doing?" She emphasised 'we'.

"Having _BREAKFAST_." He mocked her.

She realised Nick didn't understand what she was trying to say so she showed him.

Cath leaned over from her passenger seat and gripped Nick's shirt. "Let me show you." She pulled him to her and kissed him; not hard and full of desire, but soft and passionate. "Now, do you understand me?"

"Yeah. I get it loud and clear." He coughed softly and smiled. "So ask me again?"

She sighed. "What are we doing?"

It was Nick's turn to lean over. "Giving into desire." This kiss was completely different to the last. This one was full of desire, want and need. As they pulled apart, breakfast was long forgotten. Nick started up the Denali and drove towards his place.

They barely made it up the drive and into his house before kisses were being exchanged and clothes tossed hap-hazardly. Nick swept Cath up into his arms, and he carried her to his bed. Laying her down, he kissed her senseless.

They made love for what seemed like an eternity. Cath sighed as she fell into Nick's outstretched arms. He laughed lightly as he tightened his grip around her body.

"That was…wow," Cath said, tracing circles on Nick's chest.

"Yup." He kissed her on top of her head before continuing, "You know we're going to have to talk about this, don't you?"

"I know, but not right now."

"Cath, we can't put it off. It's going to get harder." He stroked her back lightly, exploring every curve of her back. He kissed her on top of her head again.

"Nick, let's pretend it's just me and you, and it can stay like this forever; even though we both know it can't. Let's just pretend for a little bit longer."

"I think I can do that," he tried not to let his voice crack, but it did towards the end.

Cath rolled onto her side, with her back to Nick. She felt him spoon behind her and she sighed. She let the tears that threatened to fall, slid down the side of her face into her hair. She closed her eyes and succumbed to her body's tiredness.

When she woke from her restless sleep, Nick wasn't at her side. Being Nick's place, he couldn't have gone far. "Nick?" she called.

"I'm in the kitchen."

Cath dressed quickly and followed the smell of coffee brewing, finding Nick where he said he was. He had his back to her, staring out of his kitchen window. Nick's shoulders were slumped and he was sipping coffee.

"Back to reality?" she said, defeat evident in her tone.

Nick turned to her. She saw the track marks of tears on his cheeks and the bloodshot marks in his eyes. Cath knew they were for the same reason she had tear-stained cheeks and red-rimmed eyes. "I suppose."

"Before I go, I just want you to know; I don't regret last night. Not in the slightest." She stepped to him and kissed him quickly before turning on her heel and fleeing the house.

The walk back to her home took a long time, but she welcomed the fresh air and the space. She didn't want to face her sister right now, so she opted to phone her and ask her if she could take Lindsey to school when she got in.

She opened the front door and stumbled into the living area. She heard the beeping of her answering machine and pressed 'play'.

'_Hey Cath. It's Nick. Call me to let me know you got in OK. One more thing; I don't regret it either._' She grabbed the nearest pillow and sobbed into it, not bothering to silence her cries of 'Nick'.

Work started that night, and never has Cath been greeted with such solemn looks of 'hello'. She got to the break room and asked Warrick what was up.

"Nick's gone. Left Grissom a message this morning." Warrick sipped his tea and put his arm around Sara who was trying not to cry.

"Does anyone know why?" she asked, though she could already guess why.

"No. Just left a message saying instead of working out his notice, he's chosen to take some of his saved vacation time," he choked.

Cath didn't want to hear anymore, running out of the break room and back to her Denali. She drove to Nick's place as fast as she could. Without killing the engine, she climbed out of her car and ran to his door.

"NICK?" she shouted through the door. "NICK?"

She tired the door handle and found it was open. Cath stepped in and walked through all the rooms. Nothing was left.

Cath opened the door to the bedroom and stepped in. All that was left was the mattress with a piece of paper on top. Letting curiosity take-over, she picked it up.

'_Goodbye Cath_,' was all that was written.

END


	2. Pretend No More

**A Little Bit Longer – Chapter 2**

**Summary**: Nick and Cath don't pretend any longer. NickCath.

**A/N**: Ok, so I've written more, even though the first chapter was supposed to be the first and ONLY chapter. I promise you though; this story is now finished. No more. Please. Chapter stories aren't more strong point, unless they're finished before posting. PS. Sorry if there are mistakes in this. I honestly don't care to change them if there are. Cathleen x

* * *

Cath drove back to the lab, devoid of the driving laws. She had to see Brass about something. She knew he'd be there, he liked to help in anyway he could.

"Hey Warrick, have you seen Brass?" Cath asked, not bothering to slow her pace as Warrick walked by her side.

"Yeah; he's with Grissom." He noticed the worried glint in her eye. "Hey. Cath, is everything Ok?"

"Yeah, I just need a word with him about…a case." The little Warrick knew; the better.

Cath stepped into Grissom's office and instantly felt better at seeing Brass there with Grissom.

"Hey Gil. Jim, can I talk to you for a second?"

"Sure Cath. I'll see you later Griss." Jim slipped his suit jacket on and followed Cath to the locker room.

"Cath, what is it?" Brass asked.

"I need you to find Nick for me," she blurted out.

Brass' expression turned from concern to surprise. "Why?"

"Ok." She expected this. "If I tell you something, will you keep it to yourself?"

"Of course Cath. Don't doubt my trust, please," Brass placed a gentle touch on her arm.

"To be blunt; I slept with Nick last night." Cath looked anywhere but at Brass. His eyes bulged and jaw dropped. If it wasn't such a serious conversation, Cath would have laughed.

"You did?"

"Yeah, I've liked…I like Nick a lot, but after last night, he vanished."

"Cath, I'll see what I can do. But I can't promise you anything." They both stood up and Cath hugged Brass.

"The best is all you can do," she shrugged, leaving the locker room and going home.

"Nicholas, darlin', would you like some breakfast?"

"No, Mom. I'm not hungry," he shouted down to her.

After he slept with Cath, he'd fled. He didn't want to, but he knew it was best. He hated running, but he wasn't left with any other choices. And the only place he felt safe was home.

"Nick, you haven't eaten since you arrived last night. What's going on?" His mother had appeared in the doorframe to his room.

"Nothing; I'm just not hungry."

"Nick, I'm your mother. I know when something's bothering you. I know you wouldn't leave your job unless you had to. What's going on?" she repeated that last question, but with more force.

"Mom, it's nothing serious. Now stop worrying. I'll be down in a bit."

Nick was left in his room on his own, contemplating phoning Cath, letting her know that he's Ok; that he hasn't done anything drastic. Yes, up and leaving your job, your home is pretty drastic, but he's not stupid enough to take his own life. But then a thought occurred to him.

Why would she want to know him now? He'd left her. He'd just left her. A note wasn't sufficient enough explanation. She wouldn't want to know him now. Would she?

"Nicholas, there's someone here to see you," called his mother again.

"I'll be down in a second."

True to his word, he's in the large hallway in a matter of seconds. He stops in his tracks when he heard two women conversing and laughing together. It couldn't be?

He turned the corner, stepping into the equally large living area and saw her. Catherine Willows.

Nick clears his throat.

"Hi Nicky," Cath utters. His mother feels the tension in the room and quickly excuses herself.

"What are you doing here?" he simply says.

"I actually don't have a clue. But I'm here now, and I'm not leaving without you." She refuses to look him in the eye, choosing to look at a childhood portrait of him hanging just to his left.

Nick edged to her, sitting by her on the leather couch. "Cath, I'm not coming back." He heard her breath in deep.

"Nick, you can't leave just like that. I deserve some kind of explanation." She felt the anger build.

"Why? Just because I fucked you for one night, doesn't give you the right to come out here and drag me back to Las Vegas. Cath, I'm sorry, but it's not going to happen."

"'Just because I fucked you'…Nick, you know it was more than that."

"Maybe I do, but even so, I'm not going back. It would complicate things between us, both personally and professionally." He stood up and walked towards the window sill. Settling himself on the couch underneath the window, he looked out and saw the sun setting slowly. The golden colours, mixing with the red; the blue darkening; the green of the fields around the house were darkening too. He sighed.

Cath crossed the room and settled next to him. "Nick, I told you I don't regret last night, and I meant it."

"As did I. But you know if we go back, it won't work out. Then where will we be?"

"And what happens if it does work out? You haven't even given us a chance."

"You were the one who said it can't last forever. I'd quote you, but I'd be pushing it," he chuckled, as Cath smiled weakly.

Cath drew closer to him, mumbling before lips collided, "I don't want to pretend any longer."

The only pulled apart when it became apparent that they'd die without oxygen. Nick smiled. "You're very persuasive, you know that?"

"Why do you think I'm such a good CSI!" she said, rhetorically.

"I'm not going to justify that with an answer." He pulled Cath to him until she was sitting on his lap. He kissed her chastely, aware that his mother was in the next room. "But we're not going back tonight."

"I wasn't planning on going anywhere soon." Cath smirked.

"I'll show you around." Nick stood up, taking Cath in his arms and placing her down gently on the couch.

"Mom, I'm going to show Cath around," he called to his mother in the next room.

"Ok honey. Be careful!"

They stepped out the front door hand-in-hand, with Nick complaining about mother's being overprotective, earning him a death-glare from Cath. "I know you're a mother too, and that you have a right to be overprotective when it comes to your daughter, but my Mom drives me crazy!"

She swotted him on the arm and told him to shut up. "Seriously, I love my daughter. She's my world; I love her more than anything else in it."

"More than me?" Nick feigns mock-hurt.

"Nick, if you're asking me to choose between my daughter and you…"

"I'm not asking you anything." He stood and faced her. "I love you." He pulled her up to him, taking her feet off the ground, spinning her in his arms.

After she was placed back down and they broke the kiss, she placed her forehead against his and said, "I love you too."

"And I'm going home," Nick said, smiling brightly.

"And you're going home," Cath repeated, not quite believing it.


End file.
